The Successor of the Saint Does Not Fight - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: The Echoing Song from the Other Side Part 3

As the city of Luzgarta drew near, the scenery outside the window began to change.

Until now, it had been nothing but untouched wilderness stretching endlessly, but near the city, trees had been cut down, leaving the dry ground bare. Railway tracks for the carts crisscrossed the land, carrying large amounts of gravel and earth to the outskirts of the city. It was probably waste from coal mining.

The sight of mountains of piled-up earth reminded me of anthills I had seen when traveling with my mother.

“Hey, Mom. Let’s get this over with as quickly as possible and go back home.”

I said to my mother while tying my hair.

We had spent the night in a sleeper car, but no matter how luxurious the train, it still couldn’t compare to the comfort of our own beds at home.

“After all, our opponent this time seems to be a devilish devil. So why not just blast them away with one strike, Mom?”

Yesterday, my mother had described the “Song of Temptation” as a very devilish and dangerous devil.

That meant we could execute them without any leniency—normally, I wouldn’t want to face such an opponent even if it meant death, but with my strongest mother here today, it could be considered the best target for subjugation.

“No, Meril-chan. I’d love to do that too, but it seems like some important people in the city are going to hold a welcoming ceremony. As adults, we have to fulfill those obligations too~”

“Hmm.”

I raised my lips at my mother’s unusually serious answer.

Honestly, we could just ignore those local big shots. Shouldn’t they prioritize their beloved daughter’s good night’s sleep over such gatherings?

“Look, Meril-chan. We’re almost there.”

Prompted by my mother, I stuck my head out the window and saw the station looming in the distance.

Already at this point, I could see a crowd gathering on the platform. Many of them were kneeling in a praying posture.

“Hey, Grim Reaper.”

At that moment, the White Wolf wrinkled his nose.

Laughing, my mother turned around and held out her palm as if to control what was to come next.

“Don’t worry. I know. Just behave yourself, okay?”

“Hmph. I have no intention of lending you a hand.”

Turning his back on my mother, the White Wolf approached me.

“Daughter.”

“Uh, what is it?”

“If you ever find this Grim Reaper’s methods disagreeable, just say so anytime. I’m more than willing to lend you a hand.”

“Oh, uh, okay.”

As I gave a casual response, the White Wolf nodded satisfactorily and walked away to the window.

There was probably no way I’d ever criticize my mother’s methods, nor would I ever ask for help from this dog. I just hoped he wouldn’t do anything unnecessary.

Then, the train began to slow down with the sound of brakes.

Amidst the noise of the brakes, I could hear the welcoming voices from the station platform.

My mother leaned out of the window, waving to the people of the city.

And then, she shouted loudly.

“Everyone~! Could you please lie down for a moment because it’s dangerous~?”

At that moment, my mother disappeared.

No, she didn’t just vanish. She kicked off the window frame and leaped outside the train.

“Wow.”

I stood there, half-mouth agape, at my mother’s outrageous actions.

Meanwhile, the White Wolf, who remained seated, spoke to me without much surprise.

“Daughter, your mother is covered in the stench of countless demons’ deaths.”

“Huh, stench? But Mom always smells nice…?”

“It’s not a physical scent. It’s a trace that permeates her very existence. You humans may not understand, but we demons can sense it well. Just the presence of that Grim Reaper is enough to send shivers down our spines.”

What is this guy suddenly talking about?

Did he start gossiping behind my mother’s back while she was gone, saying something like “she stinks, doesn’t she”?

If that’s the case, I’ll have to report it to my mother later and make sure she takes care of him properly—

“—Therefore, that Grim Reaper ends up provoking all demons just by getting close.”

Startled, I looked out of the window.

Something—or rather, someone—was in the sky above the city of Luzgarta.

There was a figure floating in mid-air where there shouldn’t be any foothold. Even though it was a human-like figure, it was clear at a glance that it wasn’t human. Its limbs were long like those of a spider, and despite there being no backlight, its entire body was as black as ink. It looked like the silhouette of a stick figure drawn by a child.

“Is that…?”

“Yeah. That’s probably the true form of the “Song of Temptation.” It seems to have revealed itself in response to the provocation.”

At that moment, the figure—no, the demon—moved.

It trembled in the air as if shuddering, then let out a tremendous roar. It sounded like the dying screams of souls.

I could see the air vibrating.

Birds flying near the demon scattered in all directions. The destructive shockwave headed straight towards the Luzgarta station, where many people were awaiting the arrival of the saint.

“All right. Shall we go there?”

However, that shockwave didn’t bring any destruction.

Just before reaching the station building, it was obstructed and nullified by a dazzling silver light. For a moment, I was dumbfounded, but then I realized that the silver light was a barrier set up by my mother.

And when I realized it, my mother was already in the sky.

In a posture as if grabbing the demon by the neck.

(Huh. Mom can fly normally.)

As I thought of such an out-of-place impression, the demon’s figure disappeared.

As expected of my mother. She quickly disposed of the demon with such agility.

Then the train arrived at the platform.

I dashed outside and hugged my mother, who had already descended to the platform.

“Mom, well done! Shall we go home then?”

“Sorry~. Actually, I let it escape~.”

“Huh?”

My voice dropped about three levels.

The hands that were embracing her naturally moved towards my mother’s collar.

“Why? It looked like you were about to finish it off, right? Why?”

“Well~. I could have finished it off anytime, but I hesitated a bit.”

“Not like the usual Grim Reaper at all. Did you have mercy on the demon?”

The White Wolf, who had descended from the train, asked in a voice that wouldn’t be heard by the surrounding people.

Although most people were still recovering from the recent battle and hadn’t fully grasped the situation.

“Not at all~. I just remembered the characteristics of the ‘Song of Temptation’ that I read in the church’s documents and hesitated a bit~.”

“Characteristics?”

“Yes.”

My mother nodded and continued.

“If we were to kill the “Song of Temptation.” The children would never return.”